The Cabinet Committee on Security,CCS,has cleared the agenda for talks with Pakistan on Siachen ahead of Defence Secretary level talks in Islamabad on 11th and 12th of this month . India is expected to stick to its stand on authentication of troop positions at Siachen at the upcoming talks with Pakistan.

The issue was today discussed by the CCS, which cleared the stand to be adopted by India in this regard.

AIR correspondent reports,India and Pakistan have held several rounds of talks to resolve the Siachen issue.The two countries were close to an agreement a few years back on demilitarising the region but it failed to fructify as Pakistan refused to authenticate the current military positions of the two sides despite India pressing for it.

During a visit to Siachen in 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that the two countries should work to convert the highest battlefield into a mountain of peace.

Maintenance of troops in the glaciated mountainous region ranging in the altitude of above 15,000 ft is costing immensely to both countries in terms of monetary and human resources.The armies of the two countries have lost more soldiers to hostile weather than in actual combat since April 1984 when Indian Army moved to the icy heights for the nation's strategic defence.

The Siachen troop withdrawal issue gained prominence in Pakistan following a massive avalanche burying a Pakistan army camp there on 7th of April , resulting in the death of 129 soldiers and 11 civilians.